Winch, hoist, and the like



Jan. 20, 1953 M. F. sAsGEN WINCH. HOIST, AND THE LIKE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed April 11, 1950 ATTORNEYS 7 .n 6 0 .N z M M 3 www M No., m H H mm A L. 7 y 5 Z M7 W m 2, T .MJ 4 44 :r. m m 2 8H i 4 T. i m W E 0E Y 0 6 M B 5 Z M 4 M #uw y Gm 4,22 C 4- :JL 2 A w s u 4 4. E 4 Z 4# .Ml M5 M H. 4 C. 4 H ll c 3 4 F Jan. 20, 1953 Filed April 11, 1950 Patented Jan. 20, 1953 WINCH, HOIST, AND THE LIKE Matthias F. Sasgen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Sasgen Derrick Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 11, 1950, Serial No. 155,297

2 Claims.

This invention relates to Winches, hoists and like apparatus, and particularly the invention relates to such apparatus wherein the lowering of the load is controlled by an automatic braking action that requires positive actuation of the apparatus in a lowering direction.

In the patent to Jesse M. Benson, No, 2,254,989, patented September 2, 1941, there is disclosed a winch or hoistingapparatus that embodies an advantageous safety arrangement that tends to minimize the risk normally involved in hoisting of heavy loads or in raising and lowering scaffolds and the like, and in my copending application, Serial No. 745,165, filed Mayl 1, 1947, and issued on July 17, 1951 as Patent No. 2,561,138, an improved structure is disclosed which serves to increase the safety of operation of Winches, hoists and apparatus such as that illustrated in the aforesaid Benson patent.

The safety feature that is thus disclosed in the aforesaid Benson patent comprises an automatic brake that is effective in a load-lowering operation to apply braking forces to the drum in such a manner as to require actuation of the operating means such as a crank handle in a lowering direction in order to cause lowering of the load. In the use of hoists or Winches of the aforesaid character in the eld, it has been found that workmen place great reliance in the automatic braking action that is attained as aforesaid in the Winches lor hoists made under and in accordance with the Benson patent, and such reliance is in many instances such as to lead to careless manipulation of the apparatus, and in my aforesaid copending application, an improved structure is disclosed that insures that careless or unskilled operation can not adversely affect the braking function in such apparatus.

In my aforesaid copending application, as well as in the aforesaid Benson patent, the safety braking arrangements entail the use of a friction brake that is applied through the action of a screw and nut mechanism, and it has been found that in long continued use of such structures there may be objectionable wear of the braking surfaces as well as the threads ofthe screw and nut structure, and in my copending application, Serial No. 2,657, led January 16, 1948, issued July 17, 1951 as Patent No. 2,561,139, there is illustrated an improved construction which enables compensation for such wear to be readily, easily and safely accomplished.

In the constructions shown in the aforesaid patent and applications, the braking mechanism may, under some circumstances, be completely released or may be released for too long a period in the use of the Winch so that the load on the winch may attain appreciable downward momentum before the braking mechanism is again rendered effective, and this not only renders it dinicult for the braking mechanism to stop the downward movement of the load, but it also subjects the braking mechanism to an undesirable amount of wear. It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention t0 increase the sensitivity of braking control in such Winches, and related objects of the invention are to reduce the wearing action on the friction clutches thereof, and to minimize the movements of the braking elements in brake-releasing and brake-applying directions.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational View of a winch vembodying the features of the invention and showing the crank handle in safety position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view taken partially in transverse section and showing the winch with the crank handle in its normal or operating position;

Figs. 8 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views showing the parts of the brake operating mechanism in different positions;

Fig. 5 is a complete sectional view taken of the brake and brake operating structure; and

Figs. G and 'l are end views of the opposed cam surface ends of two elements of the brake operating structure,

In the form chosen for disclosure herein, the invention is embodied in a relatively small or light winch Ill having the operating means mounted permanently on the winch frame and adapted, for example, for use in raising and lowering a scaffold or the like, and, as will hereinafter be described in detail, the winch HJ has four safety features that cooperate in attaining safe operation even in the hands of an unskilled operator. Thus, as will be evident in Figs. 1 and 2, the winch l0 has a pair of elongated and vertically disposed side frames II and I2 connected together in spaced relation to afford space therebetween within which a winding drum f3 is rotatably supported on a transverse drum shaft I4 that extends between and is mounted in suitable bearing bosses I5 formed on the respective side frames II and I2. At their lower ends the side frames II and I2 are connected in the desired spaced relation by a spacer bar It and connecting bolts II, while at their upper ends, a spacer sleeve I8 and a connecting bolt I2 serve to hold the frames II and I2 in the desired relation.

The drum I3 as herein shown comprises a cylindrical barrel 2h having a plain flange 2i and a driving or gear flange 22 secured to op posite ends thereof as by welding at 23, and the flanges 2l and 22 have central hubs 26 that embrace the shaft I and afford the desired rotatable bearings for the drum I3. The gear ange 22 in the present instance has external gear teeth 25 formed about the periphery thereof, and the gear fiange 22 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the side frame I2, which is termed the crank frame of the winch, and this crank frame I2 is arranged to support, and in part to house, the actuating and control mechanism whereby the drum movements are controlled. Thus, the side frame I2 is so formed at its upper' end as to affor a chamber 2l that is disposed outwardly, or to the right in Fig. 2, from the outermost face of the gear flange 22, and this chamber is dened by a right-hand wall I2A and side flanges IZB so as to open inwardly of the winch, or to the left in Fig. 2. The open inner or left-hand face of the chamber 2l, Fig. 2, is closed by a closure plate 28 that is held in position by pins 29, so that the chamber 2l affords a housing for the major elements of a safety braking mechanism, as will hereinafter be described in detail.

In affording the safety braking mechanism as well as an actuating means for winding or unwinding a cable C on the drum I3, such means are mounted permanently on the frame of the winch, rather than as a separate unit or attachment as shown in the aforesaid Benson patent, but it will be recognized that the features 0f the present in- Vention may be utilized in such a separate unit or attachment. Thus, an actuating shaft 3s is extended through the two side frames II and I2 so as to pass through the chamber 21 somewhat above the upper edge of the gear flange 22, and the left-hand end of the shaft 3Q is rotatably supported in a hub 3| formed on the side frame II, while an enlarged cylindrical head 39H on the other end of the shaft 38 is rotatably supported within an outwardly projecting hub 32 formed on the wall IEA of the chamber 2i. At its outer or right-hand end the cylindrical head BBI-I has a radially related tongue 32T that projects to the right and is embraced by the bifurcated end of a handle-supporting casting 33, the casting 33 being pivoted to the tongue 36T by a pivot bolt 3d so as to permit reversal of the handle from the operating position of Fig. 2 to the safety position of Fig. 1. rIhe handle casting 33 has a radial handle portion 33A in which a radial arm 35 is secured by rivets 3S, and at the end of the arm 35 a laterally projecting hand grip 31 is mounted. Thus, when the grip 3! is in the operating position shown in Fig. 2, the operator may grasp the grip and turn the handle 35 to impart rotative movements to the shaft 30, and such movements are effective to cause operation of the winding drum I3 as well as'the safetyk braking mechanism.

In attaining such operation, the shaft 30 has a pinion 4B mounted thereon for free rotative and longitudinal sliding movement, and this pinion di] is arranged so as to mesh with the gear teeth 25 of the gear flange 22.

For purposes that will appear hereinafter, the teeth 25 of the gear 22, and the teeth of the pinion ./III, are formed as helical gear teeth. At its left-hand end, the pinion t9 has a reduced sleeve portion 40A, the end of which is formed to aord a plurality of gradually sloping cam surfaces 560. Just to the left of the sleeve portion 40A, a cam head 4I is mounted on the shaft 3? so as to be adjustable longitudinally thereon, and a key IK seated in the shaft 32 engages a groove IIIG in the head di to hold the same against rotation on the shaft 32. The cam head I is of a diameter somewhat greater than the sleeve portion 22A, and at its right-hand end the head I has an annular wall I IW extended therefrom so as to looseiy surround that portion of the sleeve portion IIIA on which the cam surfaces 56C are formed, thereby to protectl such surfaces from the entry of stones or other objectionable foreign matter. Within the wall MW, the cam head III has a plurality of cam surfaces 41C formed thereon so as to be complemental and opposed to the Cam surfaces IWC, and in the present instance three such cam surfaces are formed on each member so as to be disposed in endwise opposed relation. The cam surfaces each extend through and each cam surface terminates in an end surface, as SGE or ME, that is in a radial relation with respect to the axis of the shaft Si).

To the left of the cam head 4I, an adjusting nut 42 and a lock nut IIS are disposed on the shaft 32 in engagement with a threaded portion 3GP so that the cam head 4I may be adjusted toward and away from the gear d!) through a limited range. rThroughout such range, the nut 152 clears the key IHK by reason of a counterbore :112B formed in the right-hand end of the nut Q2, while the wall l@IW and the sleeve portion IIIA are so related in length that through*- out such adjustment the end of the wall SIW does not contact the adjacent side edges of the teeth of the pinion 4t.

To the right of the pinion IIE), and within the chamber 2l, a safety ratchet 65 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 3S. A safety pawl 4S, pivoted on the bolt I9 within the chamber 2, extends to the right in Fig. 1, and is arranged to engage teeth 65T of the ratchet d5 to prevent rotation of the ratchet I5 in a counter-clockwise or unwinding direction, Fig. 1. The ratchet 45 has a central web 45W that engages a smooth or cylindrical surface of the shaft 3S, and the wider flange portion of the ratchet 45 outwardly of the web IEW is arranged to afford opposite faces formed at and parallel so as to be disposed in planes perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 39, and these annular flat faces are utilized as friction clutch surfaces. Thus, a metallic friction disc l is rotatably mounted on the shaft Si! between the ratchet i5 and an annular left-hand end of the head 30H. Gn the other or left-hand side of the ratchet 45, a metallic friction disc 48 is mounted with a press nt on an annular rabbeted portion formed on the right-hand end, Fig. 5, of the pinion III! so that the friction disc 43 may be forced to the right or in a clamping or braking direction by endwise movement of the pinion till. In my aforesaid'application, Serial No. 2,657, issued as Patent No. 2,561,139, composition friction discs are disposed in a loose relation on the shaft 30 so that they may be clamped between the discs 41 and 48 and the confronting side faces of the ratchet to attain smooth braking action, but in the present construction, such composition discs are not shown, although they may be used if desired.

When the winch I is being used for supporting a load, the cable C will, of course, apply the load to the drum I3 in what may be termed an unwinding direction so as to resist winding movement of the drum, and hence this load or force acts to hold the pinion 4I) against rotation in a winding direction, and the lead of the cam surfaces 40C and 4IC is such that when the crank handle 35 is operated in a clockwise or winding direction, Fig. 1, the effect will be to force the cam surfaces 4IC along the cam surfaces 40C so as to shift the pinion 4I! to the right, Fig. 2, thereby to cause the pinion 40 to move from its released position of Fig. 4 to the clamped or braking position of Figs. 3 and 5. With this arrangeyment, the load will tend to produce a similar right-hand movement of the pinion 40 when the shaft 30 is held against rotation, since under such circumstances the pinion 40 will tend to move counter-clockwise, Fig. 1, so as to move its cam surfaces 40C along the then stationary cam surfaces 4IC. This will clamp the friction discs 41 and 48 with respect to the ratchet 45. Thus, the operation of the handle 35 in a winding` direction serves, through the cam surfaces 40C and 4IC, to engage friction clutch elements that connect the shaft 38, the ratchet 45, and the pinion 40 as a unit which transmits the winding motion of the drum I3. As such winding progresses, the pawl 46 rides over the teeth 45T of the ratchet, thereby to prevent retrograde motion of the ratchet, and this, of course, serves as a safety device to prevent undesired unwinding of the drum. In addition, a safety pawl 50 is pivoted on the spacer I8 just to the left of the plate 28, Fig. 2, so as to project to the left, Fig. l, and this pawl 50 rides over the teeth 25 of the gear flange 22 so as to hold the drum I3 against unwinding movement. It should be noted that while the safety pawl 50 is desirable, and affords an additional safety feature, it is common practice in winches of this character to rely entirely upon the ratchet 45 to hold the drum against unwinding movement, and to utilize the pawl 50 or its equivalent only in a brake or clutch releasing operation, as will hereinafter be described. It will be noted that the end of the pawl l) conforms with the angle of the teeth 25, and the relationship is such that when `a force is exerted on the pawl 50 by the gear 22 in an unwinding direction, the lateral component of such force, as such lateral component is developed by the angular tooth, forces the pawl 5I) laterally against the side frame I2, thus to insure against lateral displacement of the pawl 5U from its effective position.

In the use of the winch I0, as, for example, in the raising or lowering of a scaffold, the scaffold is connected to the lower spacer bolts l1 by means including hanger bars 52. The cable C has one end connected tothe drum I3 and is then extended upwardly past and to the right, Fig. l, of a cable guide spool 53 that is journaled on a bolt 54 that is extended between arms 55 that are extended to the left, Fig. l, from the upper ends of the respective frames II and I2. Additional arms 56 are secured to the arms 55 by the bolt 54 so as to project additionallyto the, left,

l `and a hand vgrip,con.sisting of abolt 51 and alv 6 sleeve 51S, is extended between the arms 55 'so as to be disposed above an operating ring 58 formed adjacent to the end of the safety pawl 50. Thus, the operator may grasp or rest one hand on the hand grip 51 while using one finger or the thumb of this hand to raise or release the pawl 5 when this is required to enable the load to be lowered.

With respect to the attainment of such lowering of the load, it should be observed that the pawl 45 is housed within the chamber 21 so as to be engaged with the ratchet 45 at all times, and hence, the ratchet 45 is held against retrograde movement. Thus, in order to enable the desired lowering movement of the load to be attained, the pinion 40 must be released from the ratchet 45 in such a way as to permit controlled retrograde or lowering rotation of the pinion 40 with respect to the then stationaryI ratchet 45. It will be recognized that in the course of the preceding raising or lifting operation, the operation of the crank handle 35 in a winding direction has been resisted by the load through the pinion 43 so as to thereby tightly clamp the friction discs 41 and 48 between the shoulder 30S and pinion 40 and the opposed annular faces of the ratchet 45, and hence, as a preliminary to a load lowering operation, it is usually necessary to release or substantially reduce the clamping forces that have thus been set up between the various clutch elements. Thus, while the safety pawl 5G is allowed to remain in its engaged or safety position, the crank handle 35 is turned slightly in a reverse or lowering direction, thereby to cause the cam surfaces 4IC to be backed away from the cam surfaces 40C, thereby to free the pinion 4U. This constitutes a releasing operation of the handle 35 and serves to release the previously established clamping forces between the various friction clutch elements, thereby to free the pinion 40 from the restraining influence of the then stationary ratchet 45. When such release of the pinion 40 has thus been accomplished, the safety pawl 50 is still effective, thereby to hold the drum I3 against unwinding movement, and to initiate the desired lowering movement, the pawl 50 must be released. When this is to be done, the operator normally holds the crank handle 35 with one hand, while grasping the hand grip 51 and the pawl 50 with the other hand in the manner hereinbefore described. When the load is relatively small, the pawl 53 may be withdrawn without utilizing the crank handle to release the load o-r force on the pawl 5i). In such an instance, when the pawl 50 is released, the shaft is held by the crank handle 35 against rotation, while the load normally becomes effective to rotate the pinion 40 slightly on the shaft 30 in a clamping direction so as to thereby cause the pinion 4U to move in a righthand direction, Figs. 2 and 4. This effects a clamping of the friction discs and such clamping forces cause a braking action which stops the pinion 4I) after but a slight rotation in a lowering or unwinding direction. In the event that the load is relatively great, it is usually necessary to turn the handle in a winding direction in order to relieve the force on the safety pawl 5B, and when this is done, the parts move to the clamped relation shown in Fig. 3. This relation thus conditions the apparatus for braking operation as the load is lowered.

In such lowering operation the handle is turned in a lowering or unwinding direction, thereby to progressively tend to release the clutches that act on the ratchet 45, and as thisreleasingaction takes place, `the load acts on the pinion 40 so `as `to cause the same to follow the unwinding rotative Amovements of the handle. Hence, the friction ldiscs are effective to control the loweringor unwinding movement of the pinion 13D, and but little force is required in operating the handle. Moreover, this force must be positive in an unwinding direction, and the control or restraining forces lexerted on the pinion are afforded-bythe friction clutch means in accordance with the load.

In prior Winches and -hoists made under and in accordance with the -aforesaid Benson patent, the-operation of the safety Ibrake that is described i'n such-Benson patent-has in most instances been such as to afford complete safety of operation v'of `the apparatus, but it has been found that in the hands of a lcareless yor unskilled operator the safety brake may in effect be inadvertently disabled in theA course ofthe release operation that has been above described. In other words,`the Yreleasing vof the various clutch elements by movement of the pinion or a connected part axially of the shaft may in the prior structures be carried to such an extent as rto cause the pinion or the related element to be locked tothe operating shaft so firmly that the load applied to the pinion from the drum of the winch will be unable to rotate the pinion relative to the shaft and 'back to its clamping or braking position, and hence, the full force of the load will be trans- :mitted to the handle-so as to break the operators grip. In rny-aforesaid copending application, 'Serial No. 745,165, means are disclosed Ywhereby such undesired locking of the pinion to the operating -shaft is positively eliminatedvand such means are `effective to 'limit the rotating movement of the pinion with respect to the oper- 'atingshaft Vthat endwise wedging movement of the pinion against the related or opposed end surface of the vlimiting collar on the operating shaft was prevented. In the present construction, through the useof cam surfaces 48C and 141C, the need for sucha limiting means is elimi- 'nated,gsi-nce the'pinion 40 is ypositively actuated only in a brake-applying or'right-hand direction. -Moreoven in the present arrangement, the use of the cam surfaces'C and MC to actuate the gear 3Q in abrake-applyin-g direction -makes it possible to vafford opposed wearing surfaces of relatively ,large area so that these surfaces are not subjected towear to an objectionable extent. The camfsurfaces 110C and MC are, of course, protected and housed by the cylindrical wall HWV so ythatvfalling pieces of building material can -not interfere with the operation of the cam surfaces.

It will be evident, of course, that the cam surfaces 46C and-4 |`C are effective to urge the pinion 4i) in a brake applying direction when'thepinion T50 is'moved relative to the shaft di) inv a Vlowering direction, and under and in'accordance lwith the present invention, the movement that must be imparted axially tothe pinion, andthe force that lmust be applied by the aforesaid cam surfaces,- are materially reduced, and the brake is maintained partially effective at allti'rnes, and in proportion to the load that is being supported by the winch. In attaining this action, the teeth of the pinion 450 and theV meshed teeth 25 of the gear 22 are formed as helical gear teeth, as hereinbefore mentioned in a general way, and these `teeth slope in such a direction that when rota- 4`tive forces are applied -by the load to thevpinion 41401 in a lowering direction, one componentof'this force .is exerted -in lan axial -directionon the pinthis force in such a way that while the'bra'ke will be partially effective or preloaded at all times, the preloading force applied by the helical gear teeth will be insuflicient to sustain the applied load. yThis -may be attained through the vuse of -helical gears having fthe gear -teeth thereof varranged at an anglerof 26,.and :when this is done, 'the preloaded condition 'of the braking means enables vthe cam Vsurfaces 'C and 4IC'to quickly rand easily apply the required additional aforces t0 firmly clamp the braking elements together and fix the shaft '30 and the Vpinion 40 'to the ratchet 45. This assures safety of operation of the braking mechanism while atfthe same time preserving the adjustable characteristics vthat are afforded in the camLmeanS.

I-n the use of the Vwinch of the present invention, the reversible handle may be located in the safety position of Fig. lasoas to engage the frame of the w-inch to prevent unwinding movement thereof. In addition, the safety pawl 50may be located in its safety positionof Fig. 1, and this affords a Ysecond safety feature. The friction brake arrangement that is afforded by the cams 50C and IHC affords a third safety feature, and this cam arrangement may be readily adjusted. Finally, the preloadingof the brakemeansfserves to minimize the final lcontrolling force-that must be applied by the cams 40C `and 41C, thereby to enhance the reliability of the mechanism.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is Ato be understood that this is capable of variation andv modification, and lItherefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

y1. In a winch, a frame having side plates spaced transversely from each other, a bolt extending between upper portions of said side plates, a drum rotatably mounted in said frame between the side plates thereof and having its `endssurroundedby circularflanges, one of said `discs loose about said shaft at opposite sides of saidratchet wheel, one ldisc being located between the -ratchet wheel of said pinion, there being cam teeth at the opposite 'side ofthe pinionfrom the ratchet wheel, a cam head about said shaft turning therewith andshiftable along the shaft Yto adjusted positions and having cam teeth companion to and engaging the cam teeth of the pinion and acting .thereon to shift the pinion andtheratchetwheel-and the friction disc between the vsame along thefsliaft and vcause tight grip u`pon1.the ratchetbyitlie, frictiondiscs when the shaft is turned in a direction to wind cable thereon, a pawl pivoted upon said bolt and engaging teeth of said ratchet wheel to hold the ratchet wheel against turning in an unwinding direction, and a dog pivoted about said bolt and having a tooth at its free end engaging between teeth of said gear and conforming to the transverse angle of the helical teeth of the gear whereby cam action between the dog and the teeth of the gear urges the dog across the gear in the direction of the ratchet and prevents movement of the dog transversely of the gear in a direction away from the adjoining side plate and out of operative engagement with the gear, there being a stop member limiting movement of the dog toward the said side plate.

2. In a winch, a frame having side plates, a drum rotatably mounted between the side plates and having end anges one of which is formed about its peripheral edge with helical teeth and constitutes a helical gear, a shaft extending between and rotatably carried by said side plates with one end projecting outwardly and carrying turning means, a bolt above said shaft carried by the side plates, a pinion loose about said shaft over said gear and having helical teeth meshing with the helical teeth of the gear, a ratchet wheel loose about said shaft at one side of said pinion, gripping discs about said shaft at opposite sides of said ratchet wheel with one disc located between the ratchet wheel and the pinion, a cam member carried by said shaft and acting upon said pinion to shift the pinion along the shaft and cause gripping of the ratchet wheel between the discs when the shaft is turned in one direction, and a dog pivoted about said bolt over said gear and extending downwardly therefrom and having a tooth at its lower end engaging between the helical teeth of the gear and conforming to the helical pitch thereof whereby cam action between the dog and the teeth of the gear urges the dog across the gear and prevents accidental movement of the dog along the bolt away from the adjoining side plate and out of operative engagement With the gear, there being a stop member` limiting movement of the dog toward the said side plate.

MATTHIAS F. SASGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,849,383 Richardson et al. 1 Mar. 15, 1932 2,362,568 Le Tourneau Nov. 14, 1944 2,424,910 Benson July 29, 1947 2,561,138 Sasgen July 1'7, 1951 2,561,139 Sasgen July 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 495,901 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1938 

